Leveson seems to be aware of his eventual recommendation

It looks as if The Media is to be subjected to greater political control and we are to suffer increased censorship of the News which will be fed to us.

All because of Murdoch’s hacking scandal

The words of Lord Justice Leveson, whilst promising a balanced inquiry into Press freedom versus Press control, do imply that he is starting from a point of considering whether he will recommend curtailing that freedom.

As all arguments will be starting from the basis that Murdoch’s underlings did go well beyond Legitimate Press freedom and revelled in what most would deem immoral practice, it is difficult to see how this inquiry could not call for stronger control.

Lord Leveson has already anticipated/promised “that monitoring will take place of press coverage over the months to come”

He has even anticipated that The Press (worryingly embracing other than Murdoch’s empire) might want to stifle those who might bear witness to the abuse, which itself implies that he has cause, of which we are unaware, to believe that it might. (This man is a Judge and would be expected (sic!) to be circumspect about making unjustifiable allegations).

On this basis he went on to say that “it might be appropriate to draw the conclusion that these vital rights are being abused,
which itself would provide evidence of culture, practice and ethics which could be relevant to my ultimate recommendations.”

Further anticipating the likely, or intended, outcome.

Counsel to the inquiry, Robert Jay QC, delivering an opening statement to the court, stated that the inquiry had not yet seen any examples of phone hacking by media that could “even start to be justified on public interest grounds”.

This, then, rules out any chance of anyone being likely to provide the balanced argument, against increased Press control, mentioned in Lord Justice Leveson’s opening statement.